


Sound of a Crescendo

by concordances



Category: iKON (Kpop)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, M/M, mentions of kidnapping and death, no actual death though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-29 18:31:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5138189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/concordances/pseuds/concordances
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between having to deal with petty crime and falling hard for his partner, Junhwe's not sure he's all that cut out for this job.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sound of a Crescendo

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from [livejournal](http://concordances.livejournal.com/623.html).

The route from the kitchen window to the room Jinhwan is in is a straightforward one. Junhwe navigates the house undetected, successfully knocking out its only occupant with a strike to the back of the head. Jinhwan is waiting for him in the last room down the hall, tied to a chair, a piece of duct tape over his mouth.  
  
“And once again, I save the day,” Junhwe says, grinning as Jinhwan rolls his eyes at him. Junhwe kneels down to help untie him. “You have to stop getting caught, I won’t always be here to save you, you know?” He dodges the kick Jinhwan aims at him with his newly freed leg. “No, but really, I told you this would work. No one ever suspects you’re a cop.”  
  
Jinhwan makes a loud whining noise in the back of his throat. Junhwe blinks up at him for a few seconds before remembering the tape over his mouth.  
  
“Sorry,” he says as he reaches up and tears it off in one swift motion. Jinhwan’s lips are pink and swollen underneath, but not in a strangely attractive way, or anything like that.  
  
“Ow,” Jinhwan mutters. He looks a little shaken by the whole ordeal, but Junhwe writes it off as him being good at this acting business. Jinhwan glances around, almost nervous. “I don’t think this is the right place, I don't think it's here at all. There were two people around just now. Did you get them both?”  
  
Junhwe shakes his head to indicate no. Unfortunately, this probably means there's someone else still in the house. Someone who might catch them on their way out, or worse still, call the police.  
  
Which is supposed to be them. Hanbin will have their heads for doing something unauthorised if he catches wind of this operation.  
  
Jinhwan seems to be thinking the same thing. “Hurry, let’s just get out of here.”  
  
Junhwe concentrates on undoing his binds, puzzling over the situation. They’d received a tip-off investigating a series of missing collector's items, supposedly worth millions individually, and even more as a set. Three of the four items had been reported stolen, each from their respective owner. An anonymous report had pinpointed this house as a lead for the missing watch, the second of the four items.  
  
It had been Junhwe’s idea to send Jinhwan in under the pretense of being an innocent, rather than go through the regular question-the-suspect routine. Any (more efficient, effective, innovative) questionable method of doing things is usually Junhwe’s idea. Jinhwan is rarely impressed by his suggestions; he’d earned his rank adhering strictly to protocol. Which is what you're meant to do, of course. It just isn't Junhwe’s style.  
  
In retrospect, he’d probably caused Jinhwan a lot of distress when he’d first transferred over from another division, half a year ago. There had been an odd number of detectives after someone had left, and Jinhwan had been assigned to be his partner. Junhwe still remembers the look on Jinhwan’s face the first time he had suggested scaling a two-meter fence in the middle of the night to enter and search a building without a permit.  
  
Over time, though, Jinhwan had warmed up a little more to the idea of following your instincts. He had also become all too accustomed with risking his job for the sole purpose of helping Junhwe keep his. In turn, Junhwe had grown to appreciate the importance of listening to someone with more experience. He had also grown to really like Jinhwan, possibly more than was strictly necessary.  
  
Just that morning, Jinhwan had looked uncomfortable at the idea of being their 'bait', but he'd agreed to it in the end. Junhwe likes to think Jinhwan gives him a special amount of leeway. That if someone else were to make the same suggestion, Jinhwan wouldn’t indulge them the same way.  
  
Somewhere in the house, a door slams.  
  
“Are you done?” Jinhwan hisses. “We’ve got company.”  
  
Junhwe has managed to separate Jinhwan from the chair, at least, but Jinhwan’s arms are still bound to his sides with a series of complicated knots. Junhwe has never seen anything like it in his brief history of knot untying. It doesn’t help that Jinhwan has started chewing nervously at his lower lip, which is only slightly distracting. Who felt the need to tie Jinhwan up, anyway? Junhwe is a cop, damn it, not a boy scout.  
  
“Okay,” Jinhwan says, a touch of worry in his voice. “Just leave me and hide for now. We’ll see what this— _What are you doing_?”  
  
Gathering all his strength, Junhwe hoists Jinhwan, still tied, over his shoulder. He stumbles, but regains his balance without too much difficulty. All those nights in the gym had been worth something, after all.  
  
“It’s a good thing you’re small,” Junhwe says, trying to inject as much optimism into his voice as is possible. He hears the distinct sound of approaching footsteps. “Now hang on, it’s not going to be a smooth ride.”  
  
Somewhere around the vicinity of his back, Jinhwan groans.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“I’m going to kill you,” Jinhwan complains when they finally return to the precinct and push open the doors to station. There isn’t much force behind his words, so Junhwe knows he isn’t really upset. Jinhwan tends to enjoy making a small fuss over rule-breaking. “I swear, if my arms weren’t numb right now, I’d reach over and wrap my hands around your neck—”  
  
The warmth that hits them as they enter the building is a comforting contrast to the chilly night air outside. Hanbin is hunched over his desk, a look of intense focus on his face as he scribbles out a report of some sort. Bobby munches on an energy bar as he watches. Nothing out of the ordinary for a Thursday night.  
  
Having caught the tail-end of Junhwe and Jinhwan’s exchange, Bobby sits up in his chair excitedly.  
  
“Kinky,” he says. “Is that the kind of thing you two are into these days?”  
  
Junhwe stares at him. “What?” Jinhwan asks, oblivious to Bobby's teasing. “I just said that I would—” he frowns. Junhwe looks the other way, trying to ignore the uncomfortable flush creeping up his neck. Bobby being annoying is a universal thing, he reminds himself. Nothing to get worked up over.  
  
Even so, jokes like that are unnerving. Junhwe's inconvenient attraction towards Jinhwan is meant to remain a secret, after all. He opens his mouth to direct a snide remark at Bobby, but catches sight of Jinhwan biting his lower lip again, and loses that train of thought. Junhwe shuts his mouth and settles instead for glowering.  
  
“No need to announce that stuff, we don’t want to know,” Bobby continues, a little too happily to be taken seriously. He turns to Hanbin, whose eyes haven’t left his desk since Junhwe and Jinhwan walked in. “Hanbin, what will we do with them?”  
  
“What?” Hanbin asks as he looks up at long last. He glances from Jinhwan to Junhwe, back to Jinhwan, then finally at Bobby, confusion etched onto his face. “What, are they finally going out?”  
  
Bobby bursts into cackles. Next to him, Jinhwan splutters. Junhwe points an accusing finger at Bobby, the latter's seniority be damned.  
  
“Don’t you have anything better to do?” he demands. “Do you even know how to use a pen? I don’t think I’ve seen you write a report, like, ever. Hanbin does all of your work for you.”  
  
Bobby stops laughing long enough to snort. “That’s because I’m a profiler,” he says. "I work with people, not paper." At Junhwe’s unimpressed look, he raises an eyebrow. “Hey, hey. You doubt my abilities? I can read you look a book, Goo Junhwe. That’s what I do.”  
  
For some inexplicable reason, Junhwe chooses to ignore Jinhwan’s subtle head shake, visible from the corner of his eye. It's the one that means Junhwe really shouldn’t press a subject, and nine out of ten times, Jinhwan is right. Junhwe probably couldn’t take Bobby in a fist fight, but he’s feeling particularly riled up at the moment. “Yeah?” he challenges. “Prove it then, profiler. What am I thinking?”  
  
Bobby laughs good-naturedly. “Well, I can’t read minds,” he starts. “But any idiot would be able to tell that you have a crush the size of China on—”  
  
“Okay, that’s enough,” Junhwe snaps, grabbing a startled Jinhwan by the hand and pulling him in the direction of the chief’s office. “We have a report to make, and I want to leave this place before dawn.”  
  
He makes a mental note to stay far away from Bobby, if he wants to avoid all future Jinhwan-related teasing. Or he could keep his distance from Jinhwan, which would really get to the root of the problem, but that won't be possible, seeing as they're partners. Such a terrible shame. Avoid Bobby it will have to be.  
  
“My services aren't free of charge, you know,” Bobby calls after them. “No need for payment up front, but you can buy me lunch…”  
  
Junhwe ignores him. The lights in the hall are customarily dimmed at this time of the night, which makes seeing difficult, but at least it will hide the hotness of his face temporarily.  
  
"Can I have my hand back?" Jinhwan whispers. His hand is still clasped tightly in Junhwe's, and Junhwe quickly lets go. In the poor lighting, Jinhwan looks a little embarrassed. His hand had been nice and warm. This is becoming a problem.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The following evening finds them driving to the most expensive hotel in the city. After the previous day's failed attempt, they'd decided to shift their attention to a potential attack on the owner of the fourth item, a necklace owned by a middle-aged woman. As it so happens, she's set to attend a charity dinner that will be covered by the local media. A flashy event, perfect for exhibiting one's abundant wealth and generosity.  
  
If things work in their favour, she won't be wearing the necklace at all. But things rarely work in their favour.  
  
Junhwe is riding shotgun, paging through the case file and memorising facts about his alias for the night. It's dull work, but he's only ever allowed to drive when they need to chase down a getaway car. Donghyuk had gotten them onto the guest list, provided them with fake IDs, and assured them that there would be no problems as long as they kept a low profile.  
  
As the car approaches a red light, Junhwe shuts the file with a loud snap. “How come Hanbin and Bobby get all the interesting cases?” he asks loudly. “Seriously, I'd pick chain murders over missing jewellery any day."  
  
“Because you’re a rookie,” Jinhwan answers, eyes trained on the road. “No killers for you, rookie. You’re stuck with billions of dollars of stolen possessions.”  
  
“I’m not a rookie,” Junhwe huffs, ignoring the obvious jab at his complaint. To be fair, their current case is a pretty important one. It's just not a very dangerous one, and so not very exciting. “Just because I’m a rank below you, that doesn’t make me a—”  
  
He stops talking as Jinhwan turns his head away slightly to hide a smile. It's a familiar smile, one that had once been reserved only for Hanbin and Bobby, that lights up his face and turns his eyes into crescents. It’s a fraction more difficult to breathe when he does that. Junhwe had, at some point in the past, done everything he could think of to try and make Jinhwan smile like that.  
  
Jinhwan knows it annoys Junhwe when he's belittled, when his abilities aren't recognised. His joking about it seems to indicate that he feels just the opposite — Junhwe isn't a rookie, far from it. Jinhwan knows him well, and Junhwe feels an odd sense of pride at being able to understand the hidden meanings behind little gestures like that.  
  
It’s a testament to how far they’ve come as partners; in the field, it's crucial to know how your partner thinks under pressure, how they move, how they react to little things. It's a different kind of rewarding to know what makes Jinhwan smile, what makes him tick, what cheers him up after a long day.  
  
“Hey,” Junhwe says softly. “About yesterday…”  
  
It could be Junhwe’s imagination, but Jinhwan seems to tense slightly, fingers tightening almost imperceptibly around the steering wheel. Junhwe wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been looking out for a reaction. “What, you mean Bobby? He was just being dumb, I don’t think he meant anything by it…”  
  
“No, not that,” Junhwe says, though Bobby's comments _have_ been becoming a concern. As long as Junhwe's relationship with Jinhwan isn't awkward to the point that they can't hold a normal conversation, though, Junhwe is willing to let those things go. His non-existent love life can afford to take the backseat for the time being. “I meant the house visit.”  
  
Jinhwan relaxes. “What about it?”  
  
“I…” And Junhwe isn't sure how to go about talking about this. He doesn’t know how to tell Jinhwan that something about his expression when Junhwe had found him bound to the chair in the bedroom had bothered Junhwe long after he had gone home. Something had been off. Junhwe had arrived first at the precinct the morning after, fueled only with a few hours of fitful sleep, heart set on figuring things out.  
  
“I did some detective work on my own, I guess you could say. Yesterday, you didn't look happy about the plan, and I… I wanted to say sorry. I didn’t know about your sister.”  
  
It hadn't been too difficult to piece things together; Junhwe is a detective, after all. He'd gone through every bit of information on Jinhwan that he could find, starting with his medical and family history, one of which had pointed to a particular case from well over a decade ago. Junhwe had to buy Donghyuk breakfast in exchange for locating all the right files in the SKPD's database.  
  
By the end of the morning, Junhwe had felt disconcertingly like a stalker. But he had found out enough to know why playing a captive might make Jinhwan uncomfortable.  
  
Kim Seiyeon had disappeared at the age of 22. A suspected kidnapping, her body never found. The case had gone cold and been closed no more than a year after she had gone missing. Jinhwan's older sister.  
  
Jinhwan looks surprised. "You found all that out yourself?"  
  
Junhwe nods, watching Jinhwan's expression carefully. He wonders if Jinhwan will be mad that he’d been snooping around, or wary that Junhwe had found out something so personal about him. For some reason, Jinhwan appears to be neither.  
  
He breaks his gaze on the road to glance briefly over at Junhwe. "She was the reason I became a cop, my sister. I was in high school, and I... I wanted to be able to do something. They never found her, and I promised myself I'd never give up like they did." He smiles wryly, thoughtful. "I wanted to help people, you know? Maybe help someone who had lost a sister, like me."  
  
Junhwe remembers his early days in the office, watching Jinhwan try to tie together the loose ends of several missing persons cases. They had been ones left over from just before Junhwe had joined. He remembers thinking that Jinhwan must not have a life, to stay so long past working hours pouring over case files.  
  
Junhwe's own sister lives just outside the city, a two-hour train ride away. He imagines what it would be like to be 17 years old and to lose her, to never find out what had happened. He's not sure what he'd do, but he suspects picking himself up and working towards helping others would be the last thing on his mind.  
  
"That was brave," Junhwe says. "It can't have been easy."  
  
He's not used to the whole emotional talk. It’s making his skin prickle, but he means every word. Jinhwan is more than a great cop, he’s a great person, and how he got assigned to work with someone like Junhwe is beyond him.  
  
"Being helpless like that," Jinhwan murmurs. "I couldn't help wondering if something similar might've happened to her. I wondered how she'd have felt."  
  
Junhwe swallows. He’d been prepared for this, he’d known what had happened to Jinhwan’s sister, but hearing Jinhwan talk about her only makes the burn of guilt in his stomach intensify. "Sorry," he says. “If I'd known... I wouldn't have asked you to. I would’ve been the bait.”  
  
Jinhwan is silent for a moment. Then he seems to gather himself, shaking his head and offering Junhwe a smile. "Don't be sorry," he says lightly. "The plan worked, didn't it? Besides, there’s a big difference between me and my sister being in that situation. If she even went through it at all.”  
  
Junhwe blinks. "A big difference?”  
  
Jinhwan nods. "I have you,” he says simply. “I don’t really have anything to be worried about, do I? Since you’ll always come in and get me. And I trust you.”  
  
Junhwe finds himself at a loss for words. If it ever came down to it, he knows he would trust Jinhwan with his life, but he’d never thought the reverse would be true. Jinhwan was the more experienced, more sensible, better cop. It made perfect sense to put his faith in Jinhwan. But Jinhwan trusts _him_.  
  
"Anyway, if you wanted to know anything, you could've just asked," Jinhwan says gently. "It's not like I _try_ to keep secrets from you."  
  
It’s unfortunate that the same can't be said for Junhwe. It’s equally unfortunate that most of the pressing questions he’d ever had about Jinhwan (favourite emoji, favourite flower, favourite trait in a man) aren't exactly ones he could ask without sounding like a weirdo. Donghyuk had been sworn to secrecy. He’d also been forced to hone the skill of uncovering frivolous information about Jinhwan without arousing his suspicion. Probably the only reason Donghyuk still talks to Junhwe is that Junhwe had once accidentally seen Donghyuk’s browser history and threatened to tell the others.  
  
“I would ask you about what made you decide to join the force,” Jinhwan says, interrupting Junhwe’s thoughts. “But I think you've already told me most of it. Also, we’re here.”  
  
The car slows to a stop.  
  
Junhwe leans back for a last check of his hair in the rearview mirror as Jinhwan puts the case file safely away. Just before they get out of the car, Jinhwan turns to Junhwe and grins. "Ready for an irresistible night of tasting portions, awkward small talk, and avoiding cameras?"  
  
It sounds so unappealing, when put like that. But being around Jinhwan makes Junhwe want to try his hardest, regardless.  
  
Junhwe grins. "Ready."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm going outside," Junhwe hisses, barely an hour into the night. "I don't see Lady Necklace anywhere, all I see is Armani. The caviar isn't even that great. And I'm sick of old ladies staring at my ass."  
  
The event is mundane, at best. ‘Mind-crushingly boring’ would probably be a more accurate description. They’ve been standing around pretending to mingle with a bunch of corporate hotshots for the better part of an hour. The only saving grace of the assignment so far is that Jinhwan looks really good in a suit.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself," Jinhwan hisses back. “Stick to the plan. You can't leave, someone might show up."  
  
As if on cue, a woman who had been sipping a rose-coloured drink not far from them makes her way over. Like a vulture swooping in on its prey, Junhwe thinks. She's younger than the majority of the other people in attendance, not too different from them. In her heels, she stands at half a head taller than Jinhwan, whom she gives an obvious once-over as she greets them. Junhwe decides immediately that he doesn’t like her.  
  
"What brings gentlemen such as yourselves to an event like this?" she asks, long fingers curling around the stem of her glass.  
  
As always, Jinhwan has come prepared. Junhwe tunes out as he launches into a lengthy, rehearsed explanation of who they are and what corporation they're representing— one Ikon International, talent agency for the performing arts. Apparently, there are real companies that scout children and train them in the hopes of them becoming the nation's next superstar.  
  
"So, you see, we're still working on getting our name out there," Jinhwan finishes, breaking into a smile and clasping his hands together in a show of bashfulness. "I guess we'll have to work harder, if you've never heard of us."  
  
The woman's eyes light up. "Well, what do you know," she says, leaning in a little too close for comfort. "I'm from an advertising firm, and we've very recently been looking into—"  
  
"Sorry," Junhwe butts in. "But we're very... Specific about the kind of publicity we want. Can't trust just anyone these days, you know?” He gives her a look that would probably toe the line between ‘pointed’ and ‘rude’. “Especially in such a… _Competitive_ market."  
  
The woman turns and looks Junhwe up and down, almost as if noticing him for the first time. Junhwe couldn't care less at this point; he just wants her to go away. He imagines Jinhwan's frozen expression next to him, and wonders whether Jinhwan will be mad at him for antagonising someone for no apparent reason.  
  
The woman doesn't look pleased, but she seems to takes the hint. With a final glance at Jinhwan, she turns and leaves without another word.  
  
Jinhwan lets out a breath. Junhwe can’t tell if it’s one of relief or exasperation.  
  
Jinhwan turns to him, eyebrow raised. “You jealous?”  
  
_Maybe, but not of who you think_. “No,” Junhwe scoffs. “People like that are ones we should be staying away from. They’re obviously in it for the money. Make a deal with them and the next thing you know, they're raking in the profits while you're left in the dust."  
  
Jinhwan looks amused. “You’re very concerned about the future of our non-existent business.” He’s smiling that smile again, and Junhwe suddenly feels self-conscious. Was he too obvious in trying to get rid of the woman? He hates having to compete for Jinhwan's attention.  
  
He distracts himself by grabbing the last appetiser off a passing waiter’s tray.  
  
“It’s not just about business,” Junhwe blabbers, studying the food in his hand before shoving the entire thing in his mouth. It’s some sort of a cracker topped with sour cream and sashimi. It’s surprisingly bland. “We're talking about networking with the right people. I wouldn’t want you as a potential business partner, for example. You’re way too short to have any sort of charisma.”  
  
Jinhwan looks unimpressed. "Don't make me hurt you," he mock-threatens.  
  
"You can't reach my neck," Junhwe retorts. It earns him a punch to the upper arm, but Junhwe’s attention is very suddenly back on the young waiter who had just walked past them— something had compelled him to look again, and Junhwe’s eyes follow as the waiter walks to the far end of the room, empty tray in hand, then stops abruptly and glances around. It’s as if he isn’t sure where the exit is. Either he’s new, or not meant to be here at all.  
  
“—Are you even listening to me?” Jinhwan nudges his shoulder. “Wait, have you found her?”  
  
The waiter seems to have finally oriented himself. He’s placed the empty tray on a nearby table, and is now walking swiftly towards the main doors. Junhwe will have to act fast if he wants to find out what waiter boy is doing.  
  
“Listen, that guy over there—” Junhwe starts, at the exact moment Jinhwan says, “Oh, I see her, come on—”  
  
For a split second, they look at each other, surprised. Then Junhwe says, “I think I’ve found someone, I’m going after him.”  
  
Jinhwan looks hesitant. “We found the target, we shouldn’t split up…”  
  
“I won’t be long,” Junhwe promises. Across the room, he sees the waiter reach the doors and slip through them. “Trust me on this one,” and then Junhwe takes off, weaving through the guests, trying to reach the doors quickly without looking like he’s in a rush to go somewhere.  
  
The doors lead out to a carpeted hall, where handfuls of people appear to be lingering, or otherwise passing through to get to different ballrooms. Junhwe spots the waiter at the far end of the area, hovering by the next door. All things considered, he could just be very lost and trying to find the washroom, but Junhwe’s intuition tells him otherwise. He's closed half the distance between them when the waiter looks up and sees him.  
  
For the brief second their eyes meet, Junhwe knows he’s made the right call. The waiter’s already-large eyes widen a fraction, and he turns and disappears in the direction of the foyer. Junhwe follows suit. His right hand reaches unconsciously towards the weapon concealed under his suit jacket; a gun is always handy for threats, even if he doesn’t intend to shoot.  
  
Despite not seeming to know his way around, the waiter is fast. After a brief chase, Junhwe is getting accustomed to turning corners and seeing him disappear around new ones, taking them further and further from where they started out. They now seem to have made their way into the adjoining building's hotel suites, where there are considerably fewer people roaming around. Junhwe picks up his pace. Waiter boy can't run forever; he'll tire out, or maybe even lead Junhwe someplace that will reveal who he is. It's entirely possible that he'd been planning to go after the necklace.  
  
Just as he thinks he's closing in on the waiter, Junhwe turns a corner and slams into a security personnel of some sort, a burly man who goes down with a loud crash.  
  
"Sorry," Junhwe yelps, but there isn't time to stop. He leaps to his feet and keeps going in the direction he saw the waiter go, right into another section of the building, this time more populated. It looks like a VIP lounge of some sort, a good idea for a cover— Junhwe scans the crowd, but doesn’t see the waiter. As long as the guy isn't running, he'd blend in perfectly in a place like this.  
  
Someone grabs Junhwe's arm. Junhwe whirls, seeing the security guard from before, and nearly shakes him off before he remembers he's supposed to be undercover. A representative of the upcoming Ikon International, not a cop. He's not supposed to be wandering around the hotel like this, and certainly not allowed to knock over security and expect to get away with it.  
  
Shit.  
  
Junhwe is fairly certain the security guard couldn't look more displeased if he tried. The security guard narrows his eyes. "Access beyond this point is restricted, _Sir_ , unless you're a guest of the hotel."  
  
"I, uh..." Junhwe sees a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye— the waiter? But he can't pick up the chase anymore, not in plain sight like this. Donghyuk had specifically told him not to blow his cover. _Don't blow your cover_ , he had said. Running from security again would probably not be the best idea.  
  
Several people in the lounge are beginning to stare. With every second that passes, Junhwe's chance of catching the waiter is getting slimmer.  
  
The security guard's patience seems to have run thin. "Sir, if you'll please come with me—"  
  
"No, wait," Junhwe says, panicking a little. "I can explain. I was just..." _Lost and desperately in search of a washroom? Really, really clumsy? Chasing down a suspiciously-behaving waiter who might be after a million-dollar necklace?_ Junhwe is good at coming up with all kinds of bullshit, but less adept at coming up with convincing, spur-of-the-moment cover stories. He’s a pretty straightforward kind of guy, so real life hadn’t provided him with much experience to draw from—  
  
"I'll take him from here," interrupts a familiar voice.  
  
Junhwe turns and almost cries in relief when he sees Jinhwan walking up to them. He looks a touch dishevelled, probably from having chased after Junhwe. He reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out his badge, flashing it at the security guard.  
  
"SKPD," Jinhwan says. “I was looking for this guy. Thanks.”  
  
The security guard takes a step back. Junhwe resists the urge to scuttle over to Jinhwan, instead maintaining a blank expression as Jinhwan comes and leads him away. Several people start whispering as they leave. Junhwe wonders if the waiter is somewhere among them.  
  
In his desperation to catch the waiter, he’d almost forgotten how much Jinhwan hates splitting up. It had been one of the first things he’d taught him when they had been assigned to be partners— _as far as possible, try never to be without backup_.  
  
The security guard insists on escorting Jinhwan to the entrance, if only to keep an eye on Junhwe. Despite the badge, Jinhwan probably seems like someone who would easily be overpowered by someone as tall as him.  
  
(Which, for the record, is completely false. Junhwe had done combat practice with Jinhwan countless times, and always emerged bruised and battered.)  
  
“I don’t know what we’re going to do now,” Jinhwan announces once they’re in the car, the security guard having only left after watching Junhwe be cuffed and deposited safely in the back seat. “She was wearing the necklace, I saw it, but it would be a risk to try and go back now…”  
  
Junhwe is frustrated at not having caught the waiter, but he’d gotten a good look at his face, so maybe there’s still a chance of them tracking him down. He extends his arms and rattles the cuffs. “Can you get these off me? Please?”  
  
Jinhwan gives him a withering look. “No need to apologise, or anything. I only just sidelined our entire objective to save your ass.”  
  
Junhwe flashes his brightest smile. “You know I was only joking earlier, right? You’re short, but totally charismatic.”  
  
Jinhwan sighs.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The drive back to the precinct is quiet, for the most part. Hanbin had called after Jinhwan had unlocked the handcuffs, which had been a bad sign, since Hanbin only ever calls Junhwe's phone when there’s bad news to be shared.  
  
“Million-dollar necklace stolen at charity gala dinner,” he'd said, deadpan, as if quoting from a report. “A call just came in. Correct me if I'm wrong, but... Weren't you supposed to _stop_ that from happening?”  
  
Hanbin had been pissed. It had almost been as if he’d known they’d failed because of a screw up, which isn’t something they make a habit of doing. Hanbin has a sixth sense like that.  
  
Someone had once told Junhwe that a hundred successes in the field is the equivalent of one failure. Junhwe has never failed a major case before this one; he does the math and decides that Hanbin's wrath is probably the number one most likely reason for him to get kicked off the team, right above 'blackmailing resident data analyst' and 'making unwanted move on partner'.  
  
He leans back in his seat and exhales loudly. “What now?”  
  
Jinhwan looks tired. Not the sort that comes about from a lack of sleep, but the kind that results from trying your very hardest and still not being good enough. Junhwe knows Jinhwan hates failure, maybe more than he likes success.  
  
“We did fail tonight, but we haven’t _failed_ ,” Jinhwan says, surprisingly resolute. “A case is only closed when we find a body or someone is behind bars. It’s not over yet.”  
  
Junhwe nods, trying not to let the disaster of the night get him down. No matter how unpromising things seem, not everything is lost. Something he’d learnt from Jinhwan himself.  
  
And once again, Jinhwan turns out to be right. Because on Monday morning, the four stolen objects show up at the station.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"But it doesn't make any sense," Junhwe complains, pacing the length of the room and kicking anything that gets in his way. "Who steals billions of dollars worth of something and then _returns_ it all?"  
  
Junhwe had been the first to arrive in the morning, having resolved to work harder after the weekend. There, laid out neatly on Hanbin’s desk, had been the stolen items: the miniature statue, the watch, the chalice, and the necklace. Junhwe had stayed rooted to the spot for a good few minutes, not daring to believe his eyes, until Hanbin had walked in.  
  
"Maybe they stole it all and then realised how much power they had," suggests Chanwoo, who had been more than happy to leave patrol duty to see what the commotion was about. "You know… They were overwhelmed. They didn't know what to do with themselves."  
  
"Maybe it was someone incredibly smart but bored," suggests Donghyuk, who had likewise emerged to join the discussion. He casts a glance at Bobby, who’s pulling a face, pen wedged between his upper lip and nose.  
  
"Maybe whoever did it is trying to send a message," Jinhwan says. He's at it again, chewing on his lower lip, lost in thought. He really needs to stop doing that.  
  
Junhwe exhales. "What, like a ‘look what I can do, fear me' kind of message?"  
  
"Like an ‘I'm incredibly smart but bored’ kind of message?" Donghyuk suggests.  
  
Yunhyeong, who had been checking the items for trace evidence, sticks his head around the door. “Whoever did this was pretty thorough with the job,” he reports. “No prints, no nothing. The only thing I found was, well, dust.”  
  
Hanbin frowns. “So, no leads?”  
  
“No leads,” Yunhyeong confirms. He disappears back around the corner and the rest of them lapse into a silence, one long enough that by the time Yunhyeong re-emerges from the lab to join them, sans gloves, he hasn’t missed anything at all.  
  
"I guess only time will tell," Hanbin eventually decides. "We won't know what's going on with this case unless something else happens. For now... Well, whoever it is that's doing this has our attention, all right."  
  
He receives several nods of agreement. Idly, Junhwe wonders how many days it would take for their unit to degenerate into a state of disorderly chaos, were Hanbin ever to decide to go on an extended break and leave Bobby in charge of things.  
  
"Now back to work," Hanbin says.  
  
No one moves.  
  
"I _said_ back to—"  
  
Bobby cuts him off with a loud yawn, arms outstretched. "Can we do that... later?" he asks, leaning so far back in his chair that it looks like an accident may be impending. "I mean, we've had a long, hard... weekend..." In response to Hanbin's impassive look, he groans. "Okay, okay, I'll accept my punishment for speaking out of turn. See you all in the afterlife."  
  
To everyone's surprise, Yunhyeong nudges an alarmed-looking Chanwoo in Bobby's direction. "Before you go anywhere," Yunhyeong says. "Chanwoo's been wanting to ask you a favour."  
  
All eyes are on Chanwoo, who seems to shrink under the attention. He turns timidly to Bobby.  
  
“I heard that you...” he hesitates, as if scared Bobby will bite. Which is a legitimate concern, in Junhwe’s opinion. Bobby is unpredictable like that. "I wondered if you could... profile me?  
  
Bobby perks up visibly. Hanbin shifts in his seat, gazing contemplatively at Chanwoo. “You do know he’s not the slightest bit qualified at profiling anyone other than criminals,” he informs him. “He likes to think he runs some sort of fortune-telling business, but I wouldn’t suggest encouraging him.”  
  
“Plus, I charge,” Bobby adds, helpfully. “You’d have to buy me ice cream in return.”  
  
“Ice cream?” Junhwe wrinkles his nose. “You told me I had to buy you lunch. How is that fair?” Not that he had been planning to carry through with that deal. But still, any form of preferential treatment is uncalled for. Not to mention unfair.  
  
“It depends on the amount of attitude you give me,” Bobby explains, nodding sagely. “Jinhwan, for example, would get my services without charge.”  
  
Jinhwan's expression is part amused, part intrigued. He seems to be in high spirits since the reappearance of the stolen items, despite them not having found any explanation for it. " For free? Go on then.”  
  
“Does anyone listen to anything I say?” Hanbin wonders.  
  
Bobby scrunches his brow thoughtfully as everyone waits. After several seconds of studying Jinhwan’s face, he snaps his fingers.  
  
“You have a really obvious, really massive—”  
  
“Nose?” Hanbin offers.  
  
Donghyuk snickers. Yunhyeong ducks out of sight to hide his laugh. Even Jinhwan cracks a grin.  
  
“That too,” Bobby concedes. “But what I was going to say was that Jinhwan has a really obvious, really massive crush— on Junhwe.”  
  
Everyone falls silent. Certainly no one had expected that. Least of all Junhwe, who actually feels a traitorous spark of hope for a split second before anger flares up to take its place.  
  
“That’s not funny,” he growls, feeling his face heat up. Just because Bobby _knows_ he likes Jinhwan doesn't mean he can make a joke out of it. Sure, Junhwe's the idiot for falling for his partner, but this is taking it a little far. Besides, how does Bobby even know about his feelings for Jinhwan? If Donghyuk told, Junhwe will give him a slow, painful death—  
  
"Don't look at me like that," Donghyuk inches away from Junhwe, glancing around. "Whatever you’re thinking, I didn’t do it. Chanwoo? Chanwoo, come here, stand in front of me for a moment. Rookie takes the fall."  
  
Chanwoo, who does just about everything Hanbin asks him to, doesn't seem to hold Donghyuk in the same regard. Either that, or he really doesn't want to end up a casualty of Junhwe's wrath. Mumbling something about coffee and needing to protect the city, he flees the room.  
  
Bobby looks satisfied with the numerous reactions he’s provoked. Hanbin’s expression is unreadable, as always. And Jinhwan—  
  
Jinhwan is redder than Junhwe's ever seen him, all the way to the tips of his ears. It would be endearing, if Junhwe's own ears weren't ringing from how unbelievable this entire situation is. Except—  
  
Crippling embarrassment doesn't quite seem to be an appropriate reaction for someone whose object of interest had just been made up. Jinhwan could easily deny it without having to worry about hurting Junhwe’s feelings. Unless...  
  
Junhwe stares at Jinhwan. Jinhwan is avoiding his gaze. He looks more nervous right now than that one time Junhwe had convinced him to talk to several known members of a drug cartel, entirely impromptu, under the guise of being a college student.  
  
The gears in Junhwe's head are turning, painfully slow. “Wait,” he says, the hope he’d felt for a split second earlier re-igniting itself. “Is it… true?”  
  
“Wow,” Yunhyeong says, to no one in particular. “You were right. They really didn’t know.”  
  
“I told you,” Donghyuk throws up his arms, exasperated. “I told you he made me fish for information. He even made me help him buy those stupid _flowers—_ ”  
  
Something like realisation is beginning to dawn on Jinhwan’s face. He turns to Junhwe. “The sunflowers?” he asks, eyes round. “Those were from you?”  
  
“Uh… Yeah,” Junhwe says, because… Yeah. They were from him. Donghyuk had been the one to buy and deliver them, but Junhwe had paid him back. In fact, Junhwe had asked him to buy and deliver them in the first place, right after he’d made Donghyuk help him find out what kind of flowers Jinhwan liked. Jinhwan had seemed glad to receive them, too, though he’d never found out who they were from. Junhwe hadn’t actually worked up the courage to follow up on that one.  
  
Currently, Junhwe is having a little trouble processing anything aside from the fact that _Jinhwan likes him_. Junhwe has only wanted to take Jinhwan by the hand and kiss him for about as long as he's been working here. He’d been resigned to the knowledge that it was but a fantasy, childish and unrealistic, for almost as long. Jinhwan had always been far too good for someone like him. Or so he’d thought.  
  
It feels like Junhwe’s insides have turned to goo.  
  
Jinhwan looks about as hopeful as Junhwe feels. "You mean... you…?"  
  
Donghyuk groans. "God, they're so dumb when it comes to each other," he whines. "I mean, dumb _er_ , in Junhwe's case. Did anyone notice how much of a giant loser Junhwe sounds like when he talks about Jinhwan?"  
  
"And how Jinhwan lets Junhwe get away with everything?" Bobby adds, gesticulating wildly and nearly hitting Hanbin in the face. Fortunately, Hanbin is untouchable. "It's like his resolve completely collapses in on itself when it comes to the kid."  
  
Junhwe brushes off the ‘kid’ comment, which would have aggravated him under normal circumstances. He’s never seen Jinhwan look so embarrassed before. It’s kind of cute. Junhwe’s initial anger has all but vanished; he can’t even bring himself to care that his colleagues are a bunch of annoying, meddlesome asswipes, not when _Jinhwan likes him_.  
  
Jinhwan takes a deep breath, then brushes the hair from his eyes and gestures for Junhwe to come over. Junhwe obeys unthinkingly. He wonders if he’ll be allowed to hold Jinhwan's hand now. It should be no big deal, since everyone knows, right?  
  
Before Junhwe can register what’s happening, Jinhwan is on tiptoe and his hands are on Junhwe's shoulders, pulling him downwards into a kiss.  
  
Junhwe is pretty sure his brain short-circuits. For the brief few seconds Jinhwan's lips are on his, the entire room goes out of focus. Junhwe's attention is filtered down to just Jinhwan, how nice he smells, and the way his fingers curl into Junhwe's collar to tug him closer.  
  
Too soon, Jinhwan is pulling away.  
  
“ _That_ should be illegal,” Donghyuk says, though he doesn’t sound like he means it. Yunhyeong is making loud, exaggerated gagging noises. Junhwe barely hears them. He’s frantically trying to reboot his brain so that he can think up of ways to make Jinhwan do that more often.  
  
Jinhwan ducks his head to hide his blush. "I've wanted to do that for a long time," he admits, voice slightly breathless. Junhwe wants to tell Jinhwan he understands the sentiment perfectly, but doesn’t quite trust himself to speak.  
  
Jinhwan just kissed him. Life is good.  
  
“Okay, back to work,” Hanbin barks, cutting the moment short. This time, Yunhyeong and Donghyuk actually shuffle away, a ten thousand won bill passed from the former to the latter as they go. Junhwe had almost forgotten to factor Hanbin into the equation, had almost forgotten that Hanbin might not disapprove of him having a relationship with Jinhwan— but as he passes Junhwe to get to his desk, Hanbin only mutters _don't try anything during office hours_ under his breath, and Junhwe knows they’ll be okay.  
  
Jinhwan takes his hand, smiling that breathtaking smile again. “Come on,” he says, pulling Junhwe in the direction of the hall. Junhwe’s heart feels so full, he thinks it might burst. “We have a report to make.”  
  
"You're welcome," Bobby whispers as Junhwe makes to follow. It’s not loud enough for anyone else to hear, so Junhwe knows it’s directed at him. Bobby is the most annoying, most meddlesome of them all, but those particular character traits had helped make things work out for the better, this time.  
  
Junhwe will have to buy him lunch.


End file.
